WORSHIP SONGS IN CONTEMPORARY EVANGELICAL CHURCHES OF UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIOCULTURAL DYNAMICS

Abstract

Purpose of the study. The aim of this work is to identify the peculiarities of development, social-functional significance, and transnational influences of contemporary worship songs, as well as to determine their role in the processes of identity formation and spiritual communication among believers. The analysis of contemporary Ukrainian worship songs was carried out from the perspective of their musical structure, intonational organization, stylistic features, and communicative function within the context of worship. Methodology. The research is based on an interdisciplinary approach that integrates methods of musicological analysis, elements of sociocultural anthropology, music semiotics, and theories of religious communication. The analysis of contemporary Ukrainian worship songs involved the application of structural-analytical methods to study their musical form, rhythm, and timbral-intonational characteristics, as well as sociocultural analysis to identify the functions of these works within the context of religious life. Scientific novelty. The study actualizes the phenomenon of worship music as a holistic aesthetic and communicative practice within the dynamic context of its use in the worship services of contemporary Evangelical churches in Ukraine.The significance of embodiment in religious communication is emphasized, demonstrating that the worship song acts as a mechanism for creating collective experience through sensory engagement. The stylistic and structural features of contemporary Ukrainian worship songs are analyzed, and adaptive strategies in response to global musical trends are identified. Conclusions. Worship music in Evangelical churches in Ukraine emerges as a multidimensional phenomenon that integrates textual, musical, and corporeal dimensions of spiritual experience. Its functions extend beyond purely aesthetic domains, encompassing processes of religious communication, social identification, and the institutionalization of the community ethos. Further research is promising in the area of stylistic analysis of contemporary Ukrainian worship songs, exploration of their interaction with global musical trends, and the identification of the specific features of local religious ethos within the framework of transcultural processes.